Dragon Kin
by Casa Circe
Summary: "Awaken," the voice orders. And Dilandau finds himself face to face with the largest and most vicious land dragons he has ever encountered, a creature thought only to have existed in legend. It seems like Destiny has more plans for the silver-haired soldier and a few others. Posted on Dilandau's birthday (08-08-14). Updated on Merle's birthday (06-30-15).
1. Dilandau

**Dragon Kin**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or Dilandau but that doesn't stop me from celebrating his birthday with my crazy one-shots._

_NOTE: My annual attempt to bring Dilandau back into the world. This time involves tweaking some of Gaea's dragon lore. It was a fun idea to explore._

_It started out really seriously and then I just let my weird sense of humor take over and so here we are. Enjoy._

_Happy birthday, Dilandau!_

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Fire.

Life.

What he would give to feel even the slightest warmth, to feel anything at all. But there was nothing. He was nothing, stuck in some intolerable limbo that he could never escape.

How long had he been here? He had no idea. The few memories that he had managed to keep were rapidly fading away. He wondered how he was even barely conscious. He would say that he was drowning if there was any sort of substance surrounding him. But there was nothing. Just an empty darkness.

And then, a flicker of light. He blinked. Could it be possible? Was he dreaming? Was he dead?

Another spark.

No, this was REAL. But how could it be? Did that even matter? All he had wanted was to escape and now, somehow, there was a way.

Then, he heard a voice, a low, almost grumble of a voice calling him. It did not sound human but it seemed ancient, like a call from the deepest caverns of the earth.

_"Awaken,"_ it said, _"Dilandau Albatou."_

"I guess that's my cue," he thought smugly, and the return of his capacity for sarcasm was incredibly invigorating.

With some effort, he opened his eyes. It took several moments for them to adjust and he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He seemed to be in the middle of some kind of forest.

"You've got to be kidding me," was his first thought after regaining consciousness.

For he found himself face to face with the largest and most vicious land dragons he had ever encountered, a creature thought only to have existed in legend. Dilandau saw his reflection in the dragon's massive pupil and he instinctively reached for his sword but of course, it was not there. He was alive but naked and completely at the mercy of the monster.

"So I was brought back only to be devoured by this beast," he thought with bitter resignation, "I suppose a proper death is better than what I had before."

_"And what makes you think I'm going to kill you?"_

Dilandau blinked. As far as anyone on Gaea knew, dragons did not have the capacity to communicate with humans.

_"Proof of humanity's utter ignorance."_

"Great, he reads minds too," Dilandau though, rolling his eyes. But he felt less threatened now and saw that the giant dragon was looking at him curiously.

_"Very few humans have been fortunate enough to understand the noble and ancient language of the dragons. And even then, the exchanges were usually very brief."_

"Was that because you ate them afterwards?" Dilandau asked unabashedly. He thought he saw a dragon's equivalent of a smile.

_"You ought to know better. You've met one of the rare few we have spoken to."_

Dilandau frowned and reflected for a moment before rolling his eyes again. "Of course," he declared sarcastically, "this sounds just like the kind of thing that would happen to Folken. So is he here too?"

_"You need not concern yourself about him. It is your destiny you must consider now."_

"How am I even here?"

"_Our energists have been powering your giant armors for years. Did you really think bringing one person to life was beyond our abilities?"_

"Fine. So why did you bring me back, anyway?"

_"All in good time. Suffice to say that you are to be one of us now."_

Dilandau immediately checked his body for scales and a tale. To his relief, he was still human flesh and blood. He felt the dragon's amused gaze on him.

_"Not a dragon, but one of our kin, the first of a new generation of a race that died out long ago. You have much still to learn and now is only the beginning. You shall live and fight among us and have powers and adventures you could never have imagined."_

The silver-haired soldier could not help but smile. Incredibly strange as this whole thing was, it was living. And after the emptiness he had endured, he was willing to accept anything.

"Fine," he conceded, though he knew he was not in any position to refuse, "not that I'm complaining, but why choose me? I was, after all, known as the leader of the Dragonslayers."

Again, he thought he saw the dragon smile and there was even a mischievous twinkle in the enormous eye.

_"A little known fact about Gaean dragons is that we derive immense enjoyment from irony."_


	2. Merle

Dragon Kin

_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or its characters. This is all done for fun._

_NOTE: I wasn't sure where to take this story when I posted it last year but I recently had a huge spark of inspiration for it and decided to involve a few of my favorite characters. I'm really excited now about how the story will progress and I've had most of it mapped out though I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. But hopefully it will be as interesting as I think it is._

_I've also decided to try a new storytelling style, following George R. R. Martin's example in A Song of Ice and Fire, which is to have each chapter written from one character's point of view. I am, naturally, in no way trying to compete with ASOIAF as a body of work but I thought this would be a fun new way of exploring the story. And I won't have nearly as many characters as those in ASOIAF, only four - Dilandau, Merle, Folken, and Eries. And if you've read enough of my Escaflowne stories, you'll know that I harbor a great fondness for these four characters and enjoy their interactions and potential relationships._

_That being said, this will not be a ship-centric story. The characters start out on separate journeys that will eventually converge and there will be interaction, of course, but the shipping stuff will be limited to subtle hints at the most. As much as I enjoy shipping, I don't want that aspect to distract from this very ambitious story I am embarking on._

_I've said enough about how much I love Dilandau, Folken, and Eries but Merle has grown on me recently and I wanted a chance to delve deeper into her character. Granted, this newfound appreciation sprang from my crazily shipping her with Dilandau, but it developed nevertheless, and I wanted her in this story. So here is the first of her POV chapters (Folken and Eries will follow as soon as I can write them.) This is also heavily inspired by "TInkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast."_

_And I'm also posting this on her birthday, as a small tribute. Hope you like it!_

_Happy birthday, Merle!_

Thank you. We will not forget you.

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The tracks led deep into the woods, into slightly unknown terrain. Merle frowned and though her instincts warned her to be on her guard, she continued following the strange markings on the ground, eager to find out what manner of creature had made them. She had her suspicions, and these should have been warning enough for her to stay away but she was determined to have them confirmed. She was no stranger to risk, after all, and it had been a while since she had had even the whiff of adventure.

Not that she had much to complain about. Several years had passed since the end of the war and Gaea was enjoying an unusual period of peace and prosperity. Everyone was recovering from the wounds inflicted by that massive conflict and even the land itself was beginning to heal. Much of what had been destroyed had already been rebuilt, especially in Fanelia where Van had begun to settle into his role as ruler and protector of the realm.

The young king was fortunate in his friends, who were constantly supporting him and giving him advice when needed. Merle was immensely proud of how much her friend had achieved and too modest to take credit for her part in helping rebuild the new Fanelia. She had grown confident enough about leaving Van to his own devices and now understood that she need not be around to protect him constantly. She had grown up herself and was forging her own path in the world.

Her current project and one that she had devoted the past few years to was setting up and helping run orphanages and shelters for the youngest war victims, particularly those of her kind. She knew well enough how unjust the world could be to those not fully human, even in peace time, and she was determined to do what she could to provide places of refuge for them. As ever, she wanted to protect the weak and the helpless from the dangers that remained in the world, and for the most part, her endeavors had borne fruit. She had proven to be very enterprising and had received much support for her cause not just from Van but from their other friends outside Fanelia. To her credit, Merle had managed to set up one orphanage and shelter in the capital and she was now visiting a newly built facility set in a more remote area of the country, much closer to the wilderness.

The location had been thoroughly examined beforehand and every precaution had been made. It was a safe place and there was no threat of any danger. Some of the children had already settled in and their caretakers were likewise getting into the hang of things. Everything was running smoothly.

Which is why those tracks were so suspicious.

They weren't immediately visible and Merle seemed to be the only one who had noticed them. She did not alert anyone to their existence but decided to follow their trail as carefully as she could. They started a short distance from the back of the shelter and led into the forest, footprints or what almost looked like claw marks, clearly belonging to a large animal. At the sight them, Merle was immediately intrigued.

But she was more curious than worried. She figured that if this creature meant any harm, it would have caused trouble already. Something about those tracks not only made her wary but also appealed to her protective instincts. She could sense that this creature was in pain.

And it didn't take long for her to track it down, following its prints as well as a trail of broken branches and disturbed shrubbery. Not far from the edge of the forest, Merle picked up a low groan and she carefully made her way towards the source of the sound. Up ahead was a clearing and from the size of the shadows, she knew the creature was close by.

Softly and with the greatest care, she approached the clearing, keeping out of sight but trying to get a glimpse of the ailing creature. Her eyes widened at what was before her.

A dragon.

She had suspected as much, and part of her had hoped this was true but mostly, she couldn't help feeling afraid. After all, these vicious beasts were among the most dangerous in Gaea. And generally the only survivors of encounters with them were those who had completed the Fanelian succession ritual. There was no good reason to be hanging around a wounded land dragon alone in the forest.

For the beast was wounded, Merle could see that much. It was moaning over what seemed like a large thorn piercing one of its legs that it could not seem to remove. And as fearsome as the dragon was, it still stirred some pity in the cat-girl. She saw the agony it was in and her most powerful instinct was to help relieve its pain.

Slowly and even more cautiously, she stepped out of hiding. The dragon didn't register her presence immediately, so engrossed was it in its pain. But after she made a few steps forward, Merle knew that she had gotten its attention. With a jerk of its head, it turned to her and the cat-girl could see herself reflected in one, huge reptilian eye. She stood still, gauging the dragon's reaction. It stared at her and they both took the time to try and determine the other's purpose for being there.

Since the dragon showed no signs of hostility, Merle was emboldened. Tentatively, she took another few steps forward. The beast gave a low growl of warning.

"Easy," she said gently, "easy, I'm not here to hurt you."

The dragon narrowed its eyes at Merle but then, its instincts determined that the cat-girl was no threat. For a moment, the creature was even distracted and curious about this unexpected visitor before it remembered its state of pain. The dragon groaned loudly as Merle finally reached its injured leg.

Trembling slightly, Merle extended a hand, her eyes focused on that of the dragon's. Very slowly, she reached out to where the thorn was placed. The dragon pulled away abruptly.

"I'm here to help," she reassured it, "this will hurt but once it's out, I promise you will feel much better."

The dragon gave her a skeptical look. But Merle continued to speak in a soothing voice and tried her best to communicate, not just in human terms, but in that inexplicable but effective way animals have of conveying their thoughts to one another. Gradually, the dragon seemed to understand, and even trust her, at least to allow her to place a hand on the large thorn.

"Here goes," Merle said, taking a deep breath before pulling the thorn out in one quick motion.

The dragon let out a thundering roar, making Merle's fur stand on end. Her knees buckled slightly at the sound but she managed to suppress all urges to run away. After a few tense moments, the creature calmed down and realized that most of the pain had subsided. Eventually, it began to growl in satisfaction at the turn of events.

Merle was soon able to dress the wound somewhat by tearing a piece of her dress and wrapping it gently around the dragon's leg while the beast watched her curiously.

"There, all better now," the cat-girl announced with a proud grin and the dragon gave a sound of approval.

The beast got back on its feet and with a final glance at the kind stranger, turned to go deeper into the forest. Slightly disappointed that the encounter ended so soon, Merle was relieved to know that the dragon was in much better spirits. She watched and waited until the figure all but disappeared into the woods.

"That's more than enough excitement for one afternoon," Merle thought with amusement. But as she turned to make her way back to the shelter, the cat-girl heard a resonant voice from the depths of the forest, its words carried by the wind.

"Thank you," it said, "we will not forget you."


	3. Folken

Dragon Kin

_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or its characters. This is all done for fun._

_NOTE: I haven't updated in ages and I feel slightly frustrated about it but luckily, I haven't really left anyone hanging with this story. I still have plans for this story but I've been too busy of late to be able to write much. _

_Still, I figured today would be a good time to post something new since it's Folken's birthday and this is his first POV chapter. The story's still very much in the early stages with each character still figuring out their place in this new order. I'm really excited and a bit impatient about what comes next but I need to put everything in place before the fun stuff begins. _

_Not to say that these first chapters aren't fun in themselves. Every character has a different entry point into the main plot as well as different reactions to their new circumstances. And as exhausting as it always is to explore Folken's POV, it's a relief to write something not so tragic about him for a change._

_Anyway, enough of my rambling. It might take a while for me to post the next chapter. I'm setting myself a deadline for March 18, supposedly the date of Eries' birthday so you know whose POV that chapter will explore. Hopefully, I'll be able to hold myself to it._

_And once the first four chapters are done, things can finally get moving. But I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless._

_Happy birthday, Folken!_

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Folken Fanel was no stranger to the machinations of Fate.

And yet, even he was surprised by his current predicament.

The last thing he remembered was falling, falling hard and fast after having killed Emperor Dornkirk and having a shard of his own sword embedded in his chest. At that moment, he had been certain that he would meet his death, that the doomed fate his blackened wings had warned him of was finally upon him. And he had resigned himself to it, accepted that there was no other way for this to end.

But apparently, he had been wrong.

Because there he was, somehow still breathing, the pain in his chest and the throbbing of his head proving to him that he was somehow still alive. He was still in a bit of a daze and he suspected that he had been drugged somehow. The sensation was not unfamiliar.

The sense of deja vu was overwhelming. sHe almost expected to be lying on an operating table somewhere, just like he had been ten years ago. Every near death experience seemed to lead to this for him.

But as he recovered some clarity and composure, he realized that he was not in any kind of clinical or scientific facility. He seemed far from any human civilization, lying in a grassy clearing in the middle of the woods. A chill came over him when he realized how similar this setting was to where he had been lying in a pool of his own blood after failing the succession ritual.

It was only then that he noticed his mechanical arm had been disconnected and tossed haphazardly to one side of the clearing, discarded like a piece of rubbish. Seeing this metal contraption, a part of him in its own way for the past decade, so easily removed, was unsettling at the very least and he could not imagine how it had been extracted from his body without causing any serious injury. In its place, he was shocked to find a real arm, flesh and bone, though he still felt no sensation in this new appendage.

He stared at his new arm and though in ever way it resembled a human one, he was just as suspicious about it as he had been when he had first laid eyes on his metal one. He had witnessed many wonders in his time but this, along with his own inexplicable survival, was something he would never have imagined possible.

"You need to have more faith in the unknown."

Folken turned his head to where the strange voice had come from but only saw shadows deep in the woods. Nothing stirred among the trees but Folken was certain that he sensed an ancient presence there. He was on his guard but knew that he had no weapon with which he could defend himself against an unseen foe. Besides, at that moment, after all he had seen, he was more curious than afraid, a tendency that had often gotten him in trouble over the years.

"Such faith has not always worked in my favor," Folken remarked calmly, his eyes still focused on the shadows in the in trees. There was something oddly familiar about this enigmatic voice but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"Fair enough," the voice replied, a hint of amusement in its tone.

"I suppose you aren't going to reveal yourself until the right moment," Folken commented as he raised himself to a sitting position, testing the strength of his new arm.

"I see you're in no hurry to get answers which is just as well," the voice continued, "though rest assured, you will receive them in time. As well as explanations for your current predicament. Though I suppose I could give you a hint as to at least what we've done with your arm."

Folken's eyes narrowed and he instinctively glanced at his new arm, and slowly moved his fingers, trying to get accustomed to flesh and bone instead of metal.

"What was taken from you, we have restored," the voice declared, as Folken continued to stare in wonder at his new arm.

"It seems only fair," the voice added, "since it was one of our kind who took it from you in the first place."

Folken would have leapt to his feet had he had the strength to do so. He finally realized what had been troubling him about the voice from the very beginning. Some instinct had made him wary about this ineffable benefactor and now that he knew that it was a dragon, he was even more on his guard. And even more intrigued.

"Why?" was all he managed to ask though he had a myriad of questions.

"All in good time," the dragon replied, and Folken was hardly surprised by this response, "Suffice to say that the blood of Atlantis is a precious resource, well worth preserving. After all, there are few enough of you left in this world and some already have great destinies to be fulfilled."

Folken knew they were referring to Van and he could not help but feel a twinge of pride for his younger brother. And the prospect of surviving his fate meant there was a chance he would be able to see Van again someday. It was definitely worth pondering on, as were a number of other possibilities.

"And some of us have much to atone for, I suppose you want to say," Folken added somberly.

The dragon said nothing but Folken knew his comment had been duly noted.

With some effort, Folken managed to stand up and after taking a deep breath, he unfurled his wings. To his dismay, he saw that they had not reverted to their original color but he felt a glimmer of hope when he noticed that they were significantly lighter than they had been when he had fallen. The feathers were now dark gray, the color of ash.

"The transition is not immediate as you can see," the dragon explained, "but the shadow that had tainted your wings will soon fade and they will eventually turn white again. That much is certain."

"But in the meantime?" Folken asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"In the meantime," the dragon replied, "you will have much to keep you occupied. We have many plans for you and given your talents, we know that we will not be disappointed."

Folken bowed humbly though there was some tentativeness in his manner. "I only hope to be of use."

But the dragon sensed his hesitation. "You have doubts."

"I will not deny it," Folken said frankly.

After all, he had been a pawn in a powerful being's plans before and he did not relish the prospect of being one again. He had been deceived into devoting years of his life to a cause he thought was worthy and it had not turned out at all well for him. And somehow, even with the chance of a future, he was wary of being anyone's servant once more. He shuddered as he recalled those years, already fast becoming memories. His arm had been replaced before but at what cost?

"Rest assured, this will not be like the last time," the dragon said, though his grave tone suggested that this was more of a warning than a reassurance.

"At the very least," the creature added in a lighter tone, "the mission we have in store for you will be infinitely more interesting and significantly less destructive."

"Well, that's a relief," Folken commented dryly.

The dragon was determined to be mysterious and would not reveal the details of what it had planned for Folken and the latter knew that it would be futile to try and demand any particulars from such a powerful creature. He still was not completely sure what he was up against but he knew enough not to question what was before him. There would be time enough later to discover more about what he was about to do and he could only hope that this time, he would not have much cause to regret anything.

In the end, Folken knew he didn't have much of a choice. And having been given an unexpected opportunity, possibly his last chance at life, he was determined to take it.

And all things considered, he was grateful. He was keenly aware that whatever this development was, it was more than he deserved. He looked more appreciatively at his new arm and began to stretch it a little bit, resolving that he would be more discerning about his use of it in the future.

He barely glanced at the remnants of the metal arm on the ground, a reminder of so many misguided decisions. That chapter was definitely closed.

"You have many a heavy task ahead of you, Son of Fanelia," the voice declared gravely.

Folken nodded with conviction. "I am ready for my punishment."

"You are far too serious." Another hint of amusement.

"You might be repaying a debt, but I think you will find much to enjoy about your new mission."


	4. Eries

Dragon Kin

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or its characters. This is all done for fun.

NOTE:

Happy birthday, Eries!

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